Persona 5
by Tetsui
Summary: A new guest has arrived in the Velvet Room. His name is Shinji Nakamura, and he is the new Wild Card. Witness the series of events that will change Shinji's life forever.
1. Episode 00

**Persona 5**

**A Persona fanfiction**

**I do not own the Persona series, but I do own the majority of the characters in this fic.**

**Author's Note:** Now, I know we've all read other people's attempts at making original Persona stories, and those either discontinue, or aren't too interesting. I hope that you, the readers, do not consider this story one of those. Let's Begin.

**-P5-**

**Episode 00: Arrival**

A young man is sitting in a large chair. A silent, mysterious melody plays in the background. He opens his eyes. The room itself seemed to be similar to a train car. He looks ahead and sees a large blue table in front of him. Behind that is seated two very strange looking people.

The one directly across from him looked to be a balding middle-aged man with long, white hair; a long straight nose; wearing a blue suit; and had long skinny hands covered by white gloves. A woman was seated to his left. She wore a similar blue suit as well; a blue baret covering her short red hair; a smile tracing her lips covered in bright red lipstick; she wore long white gloves that came up to her elbows. She stared at him with a very odd intensity.

"Hello, my boy." The man said. "Welcome, to the Velvet Room." As he said this, he motioned to the room itself. "You are about to end a long journey. Yet another, more arduous one is laid out ahead of you. I trust you will make the correct choice as you travel down this road of darkness. In the near future, you shall make a contract on which your entire world shall change. I wish we could talk more, but it seems we are almost at your destination."

"Next stop: Abaraki Station. Next stop: Abaraki Station. Please make sure to collect all of your baggage as you exit." the announcer said over the speakers.

"But do not worry." The man said, the room beginning the blur. "We shall meet again, in due time."

**-P5-**

Shinji Nakamura opened his eyes and saw that he had arrived at his station, and people were exiting through the doors. He looked down at his MP3 player and shook it, at the same time, tapping his large headphones.

'Hmm, batteries must be dead.' he thought as he grabbed his suitcase.

He left through the doors and saw the bustling mass of people going to and from the station. Shinji pushed his way through the people to the front gate. He looked around for the ride that was supposed to be waiting for him. He didn't see it.

He sighed heavily and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed in his cousins' number. After three rings, he picked up.

"Hello, you've got Shuji."

"Where are you?"

"Oh! Hey, Shinji-chan! What's up?"

"Don't call me that. Where are you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm at the train station. Where. Are. You?"

"Train station...? Wha...? Wait. That was today?"

"Yes."

"I'll be right there!" And he hung up.

Shinji sighed heavily as he closed his phone. 'Knowing him, I'll be here a while.' he thought as he took a seat at a bench near the front gate. When he sat down, his MP3 player miraculously came back on and began playing. He pulled out a pocket knife and began flicking it open and closed.

_And All The Leaves Fell Down~_

_And All The Rain Fell Down~_

_And All The World Fell Down~_

_Everybody Rise Up!~_

"Oi." Shinji opened his eyes and saw Shuji's car in front of him. "Let's go."

**-P5-**

"Sorry about forgetting about you, man. I got stuck in a meeting and-" Shuji said as they drove.

"It's fine, it's fine. It's not like the end of the world."

"Hmm. Let's test that theory." Shuji said as he looked out his window. "Hmm...sun's still shining." He licked his finger and held it out. "Wind's still blowing." Then he snatched Shinji headphones off his head.

"Hey! Give those back!" Shinji said angrily.

"And you're still attached to these things. Yep, I guess it isn't the end of the world after all. Come on, you know I'm just messing with you." He said as he slapped the headphones back onto Shinji's head messily.

Shinji let them hang around his neck as he looked out the window and watched the cars go by and let his mind wander. 'What was with that weird dream? Contract? With who? Or what?'

"Yo, Shinji. We're here."

Shinji looked through the front window and saw a large apartment building looming in front of them. They drove up the parking building and walked to the 30th floor. 'Hell of a walk.' Shinji thought as he leaned against the side railing to catch his breath.

"You okay?" Shuji asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. Let's get there so I can take a seat." Shinji said as he trudged on.

It was mid-April and was shortly after the start of the new year for students, so it was fairly quiet around the place, and the weather was still kind of cool, so Shinji found a bit of relief in this. When they arrived at Shuji's apartment, he unlocked the door and they went in.

"Alright. Grand tour. This is the den." He said motioning to the small area around them. He pointed to door on the right side of the room. "Bathroom." He pointed at a door on the left side. "My bedroom. Do not go in there, unless you're on fire or dying." He pointed across the room to an opening. "Kitchen. Help yourself. Don't burn down the place or drink my beer." Then a door next to the bathroom. "You room. Do whatever. There's a bed and TV in there. If you've got a laptop, there's wireless. Now, I gotta go back now. See ya tonight."

And with that, he closed the door, leaving Shinji by himself. He threw his bag into his new room and, feeling a bit hungry, went into the kitchen. He opened the door and saw it was full of nothing but month-old take-out. 'Guy needs a better diet. He'll croke at 30 if he doesn't.' Shinji thought pulling a few boxes out and emptying their contents on a plate. A few minutes later, he comes out with something that actually looks appetizing and goes to the small table in the den. He sits down and breaks his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!"

After he finishes eating, he goes into his new room and looks around. There was a small TV atop a dresser, a decent sized bed in the corner, a small loveseat, a small window overlooking the building below, a multitude of shelves for who-knows-what, and a study desk. "Well, not what I was expecting, but what can ya do? At least I've got a place to study and read." Unfortunately, Shinji did not have a laptop, so he turned on his TV and began to unpack. Suddenly, he heard that insufferable tune.

_Tanaka, Is Coming To You_

_Across The Airwaves!~_

_To Sell You Items_

_High And Low_

_On Tanaka's Merchandise~_

'Ugghh. Why is that tune so annoying?'

"Hello, all you people out there! It's time for Tanaka's Merchandise! And I am the honorable Tanaka-san, your host. Today we have a real treat for you! On today's show, we are expanding our merchandise and letting out some rare items! First, we have this beautiful Ming Vase! Only 15,000 yen!"

"Heh. Things probably fake." Shinji threw in his commentary.

"Next, we have the complete set of Phoenix-man R collectables! We are letting this treasure go for the low, low price of 13825 yen! A fair deal if I may say so myself." Tanaka said with his trademark smile.

"Who buys these things?"

"And finally today, we have this magnificent set of hunting knives! Look at those blades! Made from the famous Deidara Metalsmiths and brought here to you! Only 3692 yen!"

"Deidara? Heh, yeah right. On the other hand, Tanaka may sell mostly crap, but he does know his weapons. Hmm. I'm gonna hate myself for this later, but..."

He pulled out his phone and dialed in the number. "Yes, I'd like a set of the hunting knives please...Yes I'm 16 or over...63945518-7725051...1180-137 5th Street...Thank you." He hung up.

"Well, it seems like we're all sold out folks! See you all next week!"

Shinji shut off his TV to spare himself from the theme song again. He unpacked his suitcase, pulled the knife from his back pocket, and plopped onto his bed. He was exhausted and fell asleep soon after.

His sleep was uninterrupted and restful.

**End Episode 00**

**-P5-**

**Author's Note:** Alright, so what'd y'all think? Don't forget to review. Oh, and here's Shinji's bio for those who want to get a good picture of him.

Name: Shinji Nakamura

Age: 17

Sex: Male

Appearance: Slightly long, straight, black hair with large, gray eyes. 4' 10", with a lithe, yet strong build and a slightly high voice octave. Wears a single ring on the middle finger of his left hand. He is left-handed. Given his appearance, he is often mistaken as a girl, and has earned the nickname 'Shinji-chan' from his cousin, because of this. He carries around a set of large black headphones and an MP3 player with him. He has an affinity towards knives and carries a pocket knife in his back pocket. His bishounen appearance attracts a large group of fan-girls at the schools he has gone to, much to his annoyance.

Back story: Shinji is a 17 year old boy who has just moved to the city of Abaraki as per his parents' request. He is a tad socially awkward as a result from years of bullying because of his looks, but otherwise is a normal enough teenager. On his way to Abaraki, he has a strange dream of a blue room and a man with a long nose. His stay in Abaraki will definitely be interesting...

And Shuji's.

Name: Shuji Nakamura

Age: 23

Sex: Male

Appearance: Shuji has short, brown hair and brown eyes. His personality is very open and brash. He always speaks his mind. He usually wears the suit he wears at the company he works at. He constantly picks on Shinji since they were kids, calling him 'Shinji-chan' and referring to him as a girl.

Back story: Shuji is Shinji's older cousin. They are very close friends. He currently works in Abaraki, Japan where he works at a company. He lives in the second largest apartment building in the city and has an easygoing attitude. He doesn't know how to cook, so he eats take-out quite often.

There y'all go! I see you soon!


	2. Episode 01

**Episode 01: School Days**

**-P5-**

"Oi! Shinji-chan!"

Shinji opened his eyes. He looked around, got up, and opened the door. "What?"

"It's getting late. Thought I'd wake you up. Oh, and you got a few packages in the mail."

"Really? From?"

"One's from your new school. I think it's your uniform!" Shuji shouted as he walked into the kitchen. "The other's from the Tanaka show! I didn't know you were into that stuff!"

"I'm not!" Shinji yelled back as he went into the den and took a seat. On the table were one small box with Tanaka's label on it, and the other a large box with Shinji's name on it. He took the one from the school and opened. It was a uniform all right.

"Oi! Shuji! Is this your idea of a joke?"

Shinji heard Shuji cackle from the kitchen. It was a uniform he got, but it was the female uniform.

"Seriously man! You didn't!" Shinji yelled as he grabbed it, ran into the kitchen and held it up to Shuji, who just rolled on the floor laughing. When he finally calmed down, he got back up.

"Nah, nah, I'm just messing with you again. The real one I already put in your closet."

Shinji didn't quite believe him, so he went to check after throwing the one he had in his hands to the floor. He opened his closet and saw his real uniform hanging there. It was a plain brown blazer with a horizontal brown-and-beige stripe pattern on the collar. The pants were a darker brown. His school shoes were on the floor, a plain white. 'How very boring...' Shinji thought at the sight of it.

"Hey, if you don't like it, you can always wear this~" Shuji said playfully holding up the other uniform.

"Shuji, stop it." Shinji said shooting daggers at his cousin.

"Fine, fine." He said as he slunk away. "I'm off anyway. See ya!"

"Yeah."

And the door closed behind him.

**-P5-**

Shinji didn't really have much to do around the house, so after playing a few solo card games and watching Tanaka, he took a walk around the apartment.

The place was much bigger than it had seemed when he first arrived. He walked around until he somehow found himself on the roof. He had been walking all day and the sun was beginning to set. He walked out to the railing and leaned on it to get a good view. Suddenly he heard the snap of someone closing a book.

"Hello there!" He heard a voice call out. He turned around to see a young man about his age walk out of the shadows holding a pocket size book. "I didn't think anyone else would come up here."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"

"Not at all. It is always pleasant to have company. Tis such a beautiful sight, the sun, no?" He said, walking at an even pace. He got to the railing where Shinji was and leaned against it as well, staring out across the sky.

"Someone once said something about the sun and its' beauty. I can't recall what it is though." He said, placing his fingers to his temple.

Shinji thought it did sound familiar, but couldn't quite place it.

"Oh well, I'll remember it eventually. I shall see you around, yes?"

He turned around and walked down the stairs leaving Shinji by himself. When Shinji walked back down, Shuji had already arrived back and began eating.

"So, where were you?" Shuji said shoving his mouth full of noodles.

"Rooftop. Interesting person I met. Looks American."

"Ah, that probably Felix."

"Felix?"

"Yeah. Guy on the bottom floor. Goes up there everyday at sunset. Big poetry nut. I see him every now and then."

"Hmm. I'm gonna go make my dinner."

Shinji pulled out some more boxes of take-out and made some curry from the meat. When he came back in the den, Shuji was still eating.

"Hey, where'd you get that? I don't remember having any curry."

"I made it"

"You made it?"

"Yes, unlike you, I can cook." Shinji said with a lame expression on his face.

"Why don't you cook for me?"

"Hey, you want someone to cook for you, get a girlfriend."

"So cruel~" Shuji said as he slowly slunk to the floor.

"Fine. Here." Shinji said offering him a small bite.

"Sweet!" Shuji said taking the chopsticks.

"Careful. It's a bit-"

"AHHHHH!" Shuji yelled, running into the kitchen.

"Spicy."

Shinji got up and walked into the kitchen to see the sight of Shuji with his head under the faucet on full blast. 'He does know that makes it worse, right?' he thought, but did not voice, because the scene was far to amusing to interrupt. After Shuji calmed down they sat back at the table.

"How can you stand that?"

"What, I like spicy food."

"That's not spicy! That's lava!" Shuji shouted standing up and pointing at Shinji's plate.

"You're overreacting."

"You're under-reacting!" Shuji yelled, mouth open wide. Wide enough for Shinji to sneak another pinch of curry in there anyway. "AHHHHHH!"

This time when he comes back, he's more calm. "Ya know, after you get past the heat, that's actually pretty good curry."

"Well, thank you. For that, I'll make you some tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Hey, what am I gonna do if you die of starvation, right?"

"Yeah, you'd be screwed!"

They both burst out laughing. 'It feels like the old times when Shuji was always like this.'

That's when something weird happened. Time suddenly stopped. 'What the?' Shinji thought.

Then, a strange looking card appeared before him and a voice sounded in his head.

_Thous Art I, I Am Thou..._

_Thou Hast Created A Bond..._

_This Bond Shalt Deliver You From Evil..._

_When In Dire Need, They Shalt Protect Thou..._

_Or Shalt They Condemn Thou...?_

_The Magician Arcana Begins..._

Then the card shattered. 'And now I'm hearing voices and seeing things. Great, I've lost it.'

Time goes to normal with Shuji still laughing. "Man, I haven't laughed like this in a while. I'm goin' to bed. Night. Make sure you wake up early. You start school tomorrow."

"Right." Shinji said, still dazed from what just happened.

**-P5-**

A mysterious melody begins playing. Shinji opens his eyes and finds himself in the same blue room.

"Hello again." Shinji looks across from himself and sees the old man and young woman from before. "Welcome, to the Velvet Room."

"Hey, hold on, how did I get here?" Shinji asks in confusion.

"Do not be alarmed. In the Real World, you are currently fast asleep." The old man says with a cryptic smile.

"Asleep? But I'm clearly awake here."

"Ah, let me explain. You see, the Velvet Room does not exist in the literal manner of speaking. It lies between the realm of Reality and Oblivion. Time may pass here, but you will not feel it. A second here could be a day on your side, or vice-versa. The fact is, you have nothing to afraid of.

"I'm not afraid. More...confused."

"Ah, yes, previous guests have felt the same at times. But all will be revealed to you in time, Shinji Nakamura."

"Hey, how do you know my name...umm...?"

"Oh, I apologize. I know everything about you, yet you do not even know my name. It is Igor. I rule over this Velvet Room. My lovely assistant is called Diana."

"It is a pleasure to meet you." The woman called Diana said with a slight nod of her head.

"Okay, Igor, you say you know everything about me?"

"That is correct."

"Then what the hell happened earlier today? What's this talk of Arcanas and bonds?"

"Ah, so soon you are to start. Very good." Igor said grinning wildly.

"What?"

"What happened today was you, forming a Social Link with someone close to you."

"Social...Link?"

"They will either help you, or hinder you, in your journey. It is up to you. Either way, you will grow."

"What journey?"

The background begins to blur again, like last time.

"Hmm, our time grows short. Here." Igor says, holding out his hand.

A small light appears before Shinji. It slowly fades, revealing a small key. It lands in Shinji's hands. It feels smooth to the touch.

"That is the Velvet Key. If you ever feel as if you have a question, come to us again. We shall answer it to our best abilities. Until then, farewell."

Shinji woke up, Velvet Key glowing brightly in his hand.

**-P5-**

Shinji didn't get back to sleep that night. Partly because of what Igor said, but mostly because, for some reason, he suddenly felt hyper-aware of Shuji's presence in the apartment. It felt like he was right at Shinji's bedside, but he wasn't. 'Is this an effect of the Social Link?' So he decided to spend his time reading with a lamp on. One good thing, he found the quote Felix was talking about.

When the sun was starting to come up, he showered, got dressed in his uniform (the male one), and made breakfast and a bento. Shinji knew the moment Shuji woke up, which was kind of creepy. He came out of his room a few minutes later dressed for work.

"You made breakfast?"

"Yeah, for me. I'm already making you curry tonight."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get something on the way. Later. Have a good day at school."

"Yeah, later."

Shinji walked to school a minute later. Strangely, the road wasn't as crowded as when he'd arrived. 'Huh, must be a weekend thing.' he thought. He tried looking for Felix, but couldn't find him in the crowd. When he got to his new school, he was impressed by the largeness of it. It was huge!

He walked through the courtyard and went to the teachers' office like he was supposed to. He opened the door and walked in.

"Um, is there a...Odagiri-sensei here?" he asked.

A man stood up near the back of the room and walked to Shinji. He had brushed back gray hair and a serious look on his face.

"I am Odagiri. Is there anything I can help you with, young lady?"

Shinji freezes at this, suppressing his urge to punch a teacher in the face.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I'm...I'm not a girl."

"Oh? My apologies then. You look very..."

"Feminine?" Shinji said gritting his teeth.

"Yes."

"I get that a lot."

"So, is there something I can help you with, young man?"

"Yes, I was told to report to you. I'm a new transfer student."

"Ah, yes! I've been expecting you. Hmm, let's see." He said looking at a clipboard in his hands. "Ah! Here we are. Shinji Nakamura. Yes, well, classes will be starting soon, so if you'll just follow me."

Shinji nodded and followed him to the room.

Odagiri-sensei walked in first and quieted down his students.

"Alright, class. We have a new transfer student today." He said, setting off a few whispers. "Quiet. Now, I want you all to welcome them. You may come in now!"

With his cue, Shinji walked in and to the teachers' podium. He looked around to see if Felix was there, but he did not see him anywhere. He heard many things that would get people hit most days, but he held back. He wanted to make a good impression. He turned to the class.

"Hello. My name is Shinji Nakamura. I hope to get along with you well."

"Thank you very much Nakamura-kun. You may take a seat...there." He said, pointing to an empty desk by the windows.

Shinji takes his seat. The class begins and Shinji makes careful notes, trying to get down as much as possible to make up for lost time. When the last bell rings and the Sensei leaves, he is immediately surrounded by girls and judging from the things he heard them say, and the glares he was getting, he knew it wouldn't be easy making friends.

"Oi! Leave him alone already!" Came a voice from in front of him. The boy in front of him turned around. "He just got here, you'll have plenty of time to get to know him. So just back off for now."

After the fan-girls dispersed, the boy turned to Shinji. "Sorry about that. Umm...Nakamura-san, right?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, they're like vultures, right? You and me are in the same boat, man."

"Really? What are they after you for?"

"Captain of the American Football team."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Anyway, here's some advice. Keep someone with you at all times. They tend to swarm when you're alone."

"Don't I know it."

He laughed at this.

"You're pretty cool, man. Name's Sai Nakagawa. Just call me Sai." He said, extending his arm for a handshake.

Shinji took the handshake. "And you can just call me Shinji."

"Sure thing, Shinji."

Time stopped again. 'Not again.' Another strange looking card appeared before him, but it was different.

_Thou Art I, I Am Thou..._

_Thou Hast Created A Bond..._

_This Bond Shalt Deliver You From Evil..._

_When In Dire Need, They Shalt Protect Thou..._

_Or Shalt They Condemn Thou...?_

_The Strength Arcana Begins..._

Time unfreezes.

"Hey, you okay, man?"

"Yeah, sorry. A bit faint for a second there. I'm cool now."

"Cool. Hey, you ought to come and watch practice sometime. We're looking for some members too, so if you ever want to try out..."

"No, thanks. I'm not sure I'm built for that kind of sport. I'll come by though. Sounds like fun."

"Sweet. Well, I gotta get home. Later."

"Later."

**-P5-**

After Shinji left school, he went back home, changed, and wandered a bit around town. Turns out, this city had a lot of hotspots. There was a large shopping mall, a movie multiplex, a large library, some arcades, a few bookstores, and a shrine where Shinji deposited some yen for his respects that had a bulletin board with town announcements and such. While he was there, he felt the Velvet Key glow a bit, but he couldn't understand why. He went home after this.

He stopped at the mailboxes to see if there was any mail. Grabbing what little there was, he turned and walked...right into someone. They both dropped the mail they were carrying.

"Sorry!"

"I'm so sorry!"

Shinji picked up whatever he could. He looked at the person he'd bumped into. It was a girl, she was wearing the female uniform from Abaraki High. She had long, brown hair tied in a ponytail, and she was panicking a bit. He handed her the mail.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Neither was I. It's my fault."

"No,no, it was me. I was in a hurry to make dinner that I wasn't paying attention. Um, is that everything?"

"I think so. Sorry."

"Okay, well, bye." Shinji walked away, embarrassed. He went up the stairs and bumped into someone else.

"Sorry!"

"Hey, watch where you're-oh. Sorry. My bad." He then walked down the stairs.

'Weird.' he thought.

Shinji went back up to his apartment and, seeing Shuji wasn't home yet, headed to the roof to see if Felix was there. He opened the door and saw him leaning against the railing.

"Ah, hello again. You are the young man from yesterday, are you not?"

"Yes. We met yesterday. Your name is Felix, right?"

"Why yes it is. I suppose you know someone who knows me?"

"Yes. My cousin. Shuji Nakamura?"

"Hmm, can't say I remember him. Ah well, time is but a river. Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes. Remember our conversation from yesterday?"

"Somewhat. We were talking about the beauty of the sun, no?"

"Yes. I remembered the saying you were talking about."

"Oh, really? I would like to hear it. I am still wracking my brain for the answer."

"Yes. The saying goes, 'If eyes are the mirrors of the soul, then the sun has the most radiant soul of all.' The one who said that believed that the sun was the eye of the world."

"Ah, yes! Thank you, that would have caused me to lose sleep, but now I can rest easy. I do thank you..."

"Shinji. Shinji Nakamura."

"Shinji. And I am Felix Artruse. If you ever wish to wax poetically or philosophically with me again, I shall be here."

"I thank you for the invitation."

Time froze once more. 'What? Again?' Another card appears.

_Thou Art I, I Am Thou..._

_Thou Hast Created A Bond..._

_The Bond Shalt Deliver Thou From Evil..._

_When In Dire Need, They Shalt Protect Thou..._

_Or Shalt They Condemn Thou...?_

_The Sun Arcana Begins..._

Time unfreezes.

"I shall see you soon, then?"

"Yes. Now, I need to go, it's getting late. Goodbye."

"Fare thee well, young journeyman."

**-P5-**

After dinner, Shuji went to sleep while Shinji washed dishes. He could now fell the presence of both Sai and Felix along with Shuji. When he finally went to bed, before he fell asleep, he thought he heard Igor whisper into his ear,

"And so, the journey begins."

**End Episode 01**

**Social Links:**

**Magician:** Lvl.1 Shuji Nakamura

**Strength:** Lvl.1 Sai Nakagawa

**Sun:** Lvl.1 Felix Artruse


	3. Episode 02

**Episode 02: Rumours**

**-P5-**

"Hey, did you hear about the Haunted Mansion at the old part of the city?"

"Haunted Mansion?"

Shinji looked up at this. It was free time between classes so Shinji was taking a bit of a rest from his, yet again, sleepless night. 'Man, if I don't get some sleep soon, I'm gonna start hallucinating.' Next to him, two girls were talking about something.

"Yeah, it's an actual haunted house! I heard from a friend that anyone who goes inside at night doesn't come out!"

"Really?" The other girl asked skeptically. "And where did your friend hear this?"

"Well, from another friend, but they were there!"

"Uh-huh, are you sure this isn't like that TV rumour that went around a few years back?" She said, a lame look on her face.

"No way! But seriously, every time someone goes inside, they go missing! It's no joke. The police are clueless as to what's going on!"

"Well, whether or not it's true, I don't really care. Just don't go there. Even if it isn't haunted, it's an old mansion that's falling apart, you could get really hurt."

"I know, I know, it just sounds interesting, right?"

"Mmm, not really." The other girl said with her finger on her lips.

"You're just being a killjoy." She said slinking back into her seat.

The bell rang at that point, setting everything back into a normal pace with everyone returning to their seats. After school, Sai came to Shinji. "Hey, man." Sai said as he reached Shinji and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

"Oh, hey Sai."

"Hey, you hear that rumour goin' around?"

"The Haunted Mansion thing?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah, but I've never really listened to those things. Waste of time in my opinion."

"Oh come on. You've never tested a rumour to see if it's true before?" Sai said letting his shoulders slump a bit.

"Nope. Especially if it's about people. And if it sounds too out there, it probably is." He said with a wave of his hand.

"That's true, but come on, aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Not particularly. Though, there is something troubling me." Shinji said, putting hid fingers to his chin.

"Eh? What's that?"

"Well, is it true that whoever goes in there doesn't come out?" He said, his face putting on a serious tone.

"Well, yeah, man. The police can't make heads or tails of it. They've even gone in and scouted the place out. Nothing. Not a trace of them anywhere. It's kind of eerie. But at the same time, kind of cool."

Shinji stopped walking. Sai turned around and saw that he was looking right at him. "What?"

"Don't tell me you're thinking of going there, right?"

"Well," Sai said, a sheepish smile creeping up, "Maybe. Ya know, just to check it out."

"Sai, do not go there."

"What? Why not?"

"Because, if you go missing, and I have to go and find you, I'm going to have to punch you." He said holding up his fist threateningly.

"Yeesh," Sai said waving his hands in front of him, "You can be pretty scary when you want to be, ya know?"

"Yes, I get that sometimes. But seriously, don't go there."

"Right, right. I got it. No going to the mansion."

That night, after visiting Felix and eating dinner, Shinji went to bed. As the sun slowly set in the distance, he felt something...off. He watched his TV until the sun set. At that time, Shinji figured out what was off. He no longer felt Sai's presence. He didn't get any sleep that night.

**-P5-**

Sai didn't show up for school the next few days. Shinji checked all of the places he could think of; the roof, the nurses' office, the sports field, he wasn't there. 'Well, maybe he's sick.' He tried calling him on his cell, but no one answered. When he was leaving the school, he noticed a police car was at the front gate, and when he passed though, a few police officers called him over.

"Excuse me, but can we speak to you for a moment?" One of the officers said.

"Is there anything wrong, officers?" Shinji asked.

"Do you know a Sai Nakagawa-san?"

"Yes, we know each other."

"Have you seen him in the past 24 hours?"

"Um, well, the last I saw him was when we were leaving school together a few days ago."

"Did he say anything about what he would be doing that afternoon or anything that made it seem like he was in trouble with someone? Anything will help."

'He didn't.' "No, nothing. He seemed like his usual self."

"Hmm. Well, thank you for your time."

Shinji bowed and walked away. When he got home, he sighed heavily. "That idiot. Oh, well. Better go get him and beat the crap out of him, not necessarily in that order." He changed and left a note telling Shuji he'd be out that night and he shouldn't wait up for him.

**-P5-**

The so-called 'Haunted Mansion' actually did share an amazing resemblance to the stereotype, so it was understandable why people thought it was one. It was a very large, very decrepit, very well shaded house in a secluded place that you would have to look for to find it. Of course, most houses in the old part of the city looked like this, but this house just had a very creepy vibe coming from it that made Shinji feel a bit nauseous. Shinji had felt it from a block away and it seemed to only get stronger as he got closer and the sky darkened.

'Well, now's as good a time as any.' Shinji thought as he slowly crept towards the old house. He had to be careful because there looked to be many things that he could cut himself on, and he didn't really feel like getting a tetanus shot anytime soon. When he got to the front door, he tried the handle, but it seemed to be stuck. He rammed the door with his shoulder a few times before it opened. 'I feel like a common criminal doing this.' Shinji thought with shame as he took a few tentative steps to be sure the floor wouldn't collapse under his own weight. When he was sure he was safe, he walked around. Instantly, he felt Sai's presence again.

"Sai! Are you here?" He shouted into the darkness, causing an echo. No one answered. Every step he took seemed to make the floor creak with a slow, creepy shrill. It certainly did feel like the place was haunted. He looked at his watch. 7:25. The sun should be setting soon. He went from room-to-room, looking for Sai. No matter where he went, it didn't feel like his presence was getting any stronger or weaker, just an odd constant, like he was right there, but far away. He looked out the window and watched the sun finally go over the horizon, leaving him in darkness.

At least, that what Shinji thought would happen. Instead of the house becoming pitch black, a strange greenish-blue light covered everything. The strange feeling Shinji had felt from the house intensified, causing him to vomit. When he looked back up, he seemed to be in a completely different part of the house. 'What the? How'd I get here?' He tried to backtrack his steps to the front door, but the house seemed to have changed shape or something, making his footing useless. 'Well, at least I can see.' He thought as he came to a staircase at last. He went down it and found himself on a seemingly identical floor. "Oh, that's just not funny." He said as he slumped against a wall and slid to the floor.

"What is with this house? It wasn't like this a second ago. Come to think of it, I have no idea where I am."

"Hello? Is anyone here?" he heard a familiar voice come from nearby. Shinji got up and ran towards the voice. When he got close enough, he could see who it was. It was Sai.

"Oi!" Shinji yelled.

"Hey, Shinji! I thought you said you weren't going to check this out?"

"Shut up, you bastard. You go missing for two days and then say that? Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Shinji said as he threw his fist into Sai's face. Sai fell to the ground rubbing his cheek.

"Hey, what the hell was that for? And two days? I've only been here an hour!" Sai said as he got up.

"An hour? What are you talking about?"

"I've been wandering around this place for the last hour trying to find an exit! This place is pretty messed up man, no matter where I go, every floor looks the same. And the floors themselves, yeesh, I spent 30 minutes walking through rooms that lead to rooms that lead back into the first hallway. This place is crazy! And I haven't even started on the Shadows!"

"Shadows?"

Almost as if on cue, three writhing masses of darkness seemed to leave the wall and shoot towards them.

"Those! Run!" Sai yelled as he began to run. Shinji followed closely behind, but the Shadows were closing in fast. "Quick! In there!" Sai dived into a room with an open door and Shinji followed. When he got back up, he saw that the Shadows were right outside the room, just looking in, not really moving.

"What the...?"

"They can't seem to come into these kind of rooms."

"What kind of rooms?"

"Look."

Sai pointed at the door frame, and there was no door to close, no hinges to attach a door to, no metal plate for the handle to close. It was just an empty doorway, nothing special about it.

"This is..."

"Surreal, I know. But what works, works."

Sai walked further into the room, but Shinji was more interested in the door frame. On closer inspection, there seemed to be words carved into the frame, but they were some language he'd never seen before.

"At any rate, we're safe in here." Sai said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, from the looks of things, those things are afraid of these rooms. They won't be-"

CRASH

The ceiling seemed to splinter and cave in before something crashed down from the floor above. Sai and Shinji rushed to a wall and when the dust cleared, a large pile of debris was on the floor. Something began climbing from the pile.

"Dammit. I thought the floor would be stronger than that." a voice said. From the pile crawled a girl about their age. She had blond hair, tied back with a black headband. She was wearing a black tank-top with black pants. She stood up and looked around, seemingly oblivious to the other two people in the room.

"Um..." Sai spoke up. The girl visibly twitched and shrieked.

"Don't do that! It's not nice to sneak up on people, you know!"

"Hey, you're the one who came crashing from the ceiling!"

She looked around. "Oh, right. Sorry." She jumped down the pile and examined the door frame where the Shadows were still waiting. She pulled out a small throwing star from her belt and tossed it at the Shadows, causing them to disappear.

Shinji and Sai looked at her with disbelief. She had taken out two Shadows where they just ran away. 'That really hurts my pride.' Shinji thought with a frown. And judging from Sai's face, he was thinking the same thing. She walked over to the other door frame and eliminated four other Shadows they hadn't even noticed until now. "Okay, you're safe for now." She said simply. Then, she walked over to them.

"So, what are you two doing here?" She turned to Sai. "Thought it'd be fun for you and your girlfriend here to do it in a haunted house?"

"Oi! It's not like that!"

"I'm not a girl, dammit!"

She seemed to not hear them. "Well, whatever your reasons, we need to get you two out of here. It's really dangerous. Come on!" She said as she ran out of the room, leaving them to stand there.

"She didn't listen to a single thing we said, did she?" Shinji asked.

"No, I don't think so."

She then poked her head back in. "Come on!"

"Right!"

"Right!"

**-P5-**

They followed her room-to-room as she took out the Shadows with ease. Eventually, they got to a staircase that was brighter than the others.

"Okay," the girl said as she stood next to it, "take this staircase and you should be at the front door. When you get there, leave, and don't come back. Better yet, forget everything you saw here tonight. It was all a dream. Yeah, wait. What!"

She looks behind Shinji and Sai and throws a few throwing stars behind them. Shinji looks back and sees a large Shadow right behind them.

'Shit.' was the only thing he had time to think of before his thoughts are clouded by darkness.

**End of Episode 02**

**-P5-**

**Author's Note:** 10 points for anyone who can guess where I got the house physics from.


	4. Episode 03

**Episode 03: Persona**

**-P5-**

"**Awaken.**" a voice echoed in Shinji's mind. His eyes opened instinctively. All around him was a swirling vortex of nothing. He couldn't even tell if he had actually opened his eyes. He noticed that he wasn't breathing and panicked.

"**Calm down.**" the voice said again. The voice strangely sounded like his own. Shinji complied and noticed that his lungs were not aching for oxygen. Shinji looked around for where the voice was coming from.

"**Dost thou wish to die?**" Shinji opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came from it. "**Thou dost not need verbal communication for this. Think, and I shalt hear.**" Shinji focused all of his strength and reasoning into one single word.

"_**NO!**_" he shouted in his mind. "**Very well.**"

Suddenly, the nothingness disappeared and Shinji found himself slowly floating down to a solid surface. When he made footfall, a landscape spread itself out. It was a large open area, with ground similar to a desert. Sky stretched into the horizon in all directions.

"**Come then, and face your power.**"

Shinji began walking in a random direction. Strangely, even though the terrain was barren, the walk was long, and the sun was bright, he felt no exhaustion, no heat, like he was a constant state of relaxation. Eventually, he came across a large oasis, and in the middle was a lone statue, standing by itself with no discernible way for it to get there, or reason for it to be there.

It was a statue of a person. The person was sitting on a pedestal with their hands over their face. They were wearing long white robes tied at the waist with rope. Shinji waded through the water to get closer to the statue. On closer inspection, the lake seemed to be coming _from_ the statue, from behind the statues' eyes, as if it were weeping. The statue looked so life-like, so realistic, that Shinji actually felt a twinge of pity for it. He leaned forward and stopped the stream with his finger. When he moved it back, it had stopped. The pedestal looked large enough for him to sit next to the statue so he took a seat.

He sat for a long time there, how long he did not know, and stared at the endless horizon and the lake. Eventually, he felt an odd thirst, and walked down to the lake. When he had drank his fill he walked back. Something about the statue had changed. Its' eyes were no longer covered. Instead, it was looking at the exact spot Shinji had been drinking from. He sat back at his place a bit unsettled and continued staring off into the distance.

He closed his eyes and must have nodded off because the set had set quite a bit. Another thing, the statue had moved again. It was now looking right at him. 'What the hell?' Shinji stood up a bit startled. He felt thirsty again so he walked back to the lake, keeping the statue in his field of vision in case it moved again. He stuck his hand in the water again, but for some reason it seemed to burn his skin.

"Ow! What the hell?" He said as he pulled his hand back. He looked out at the lake, and saw that all of the water had turned a thick black liquid and was producing some type of smoke. He stood up and backed away a bit. He turned back around and saw that the statue had been standing right behind him. It was looking at him and had its' arm outstretched. Something was in its' hand. Shinji approached it cautiously and inspected the object.

It seemed to be a small cube. It looked almost metallic in appearance and seemed to entirely made up of slightly smaller squares making a checkerboard pattern. It was a pale brown and seemed to be emitting a small amount of light. He looked the statue in the eyes.

"What is this?" He asked. It simply stared at him. "Are you offering this to me?" It continued to stare. Shinji slowly picked it up and held it in the palm of his left hand. Suddenly, it began to grow very warm, to the point it began to burn his skin.

"Ahh!" He yelled as he sank to his knees. He tried pull it off, but it scalded his fingers. He tried shaking it off, but it seemed seared to his skin. The cube began to slowly fold up into the smaller squares, folding in on itself. He looked up at the statue and it staring at him, with its' finger pointing to him.

"**The deed is done. I shalt be at thou service, my king.**"

The cube finally finished folding into the final square, which sank into his palm. A small black circle appeared there. The statue moved its' mouth, a grainy voice escaping it.

"_Per-son-a._"

Shinji blacked out.

**-P5-**

Shinji woke up with a start. He looked around and saw that he was in a hospital bed. He was attached to all sorts of machinery. 'What...just happened?' he thought slowly as he looked at he left hand. It seemed just fine. No black circle was seared into his skin. 'Was it all a hallucination? The house? The Shadows? The dream? Everything?'

"Oh no, I assure, everything that just happened to you was quite real." a voice said. A man walked from the other side of the curtain. He had groomed silver hair and heavy gray eyes. He was wearing a crisp, polished white suit. He was walking with a long cane with a gold handle. He had a warm smile, that matched his air, which seemed to sooth Shinji slightly. 'Wait, did he just read my mind?'

"No, I did not just read your mind. I've had the reaction a lot, so I'm used to it. But no, everything happened. There is no mistaking that."

"But-"

A door opened and Shuji walked through holding a cup of coffee. He saw Shinji and bolted to his side.

"You're awake!" He said and wrapped him in a hug. "Don't ever do that again!" He let go, straightened up, and delivered a punch to Shinji's arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For doing something as stupid as breaking into a house, stupid! You're lucky Kuzonoha-san here didn't press charges! You and your stupid friend!"

Then Shinji remembered. "Oh yeah, where is Sai?"

"Over here, dude."

The curtain was pulled aside and there was Sai, in a bed with his head wrapped in bandages, waving sheepishly.

"You're lucky you two didn't get killed."

'Too close for comfort though.'

"Yes, yes, not many people can survive falling through 9 floors and landing on a concrete basement bottom." The man Shuji had called Kuzonoha-san said. 'Hmm, why does that name sound familiar?'

"Well, thank you, Kuzonoha-san, for getting them to the hospital so quickly. Is there anything we can do for you to make it up?" Shuji said.

"No need, no need. Although, there is something that I'd like to talk about with the boys here for a second. Alone, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I'll be in the hall." He said, and closed the door on his way out.

Kuzonoha-san pulled up a chair and turned to the boys.

"So. Tell me, what all did you see last night during your adventure through my home." He said, face suddenly a very stern, serious face. Shinji and Sai looked at each other with very contemplative looks and said at the same time, "You wouldn't believe us."

"Oh, you'd be surprised what I would believe. Why, I would probably even believe a crazy story about two boys who were chased through my house by living shadows and were ultimately engulfed by them. But that would be crazy talk, and this is all hypothetical." He said with a chuckle.

"How did you...?" Sai said, with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Oh, but remember boys, it is my house. I know just about everything that goes on in there. Now then, tell me all that happened."

The two recounted all that had happened in the house, from Sai's disappearance, to Shinji entering the house, to being saved from the Shadows by a ninja girl, to the strange dreams they had.

"Hmm. Very interesting. Very interesting, indeed." He stood up and looked out of the window. "Tell me boys, does the word 'Persona' mean anything to you?"

They both looked up at him in shock.

He chuckled. "I thought so. If it didn't you two wouldn't be here at the moment." He retook his seat. "You see boys, a Persona is a type of power that a person who has suffered through a crisis is able to use. Whether that be the endangerment of their friends, loss of loved ones, a near-death experience, or even facing themselves in the mirror. Nobody really knows how they come about being able to use it, but it's different for every person. It takes on a physical shape that varies with each person, and they are usually used in tackling obstacles that that person may find in life. But it's main use is for destroying the creatures you two saw last night. Shadows.

Now, I'm sure you both realize that my home is very far from normal. The reason is that for a number of centuries, I'm not sure how many, my home has been a haven for these 'Shadows.' No one's really sure why that is, but it is, and it is quite the bother sometimes. And every now and then, some poor soul winds coming into my property for one reason or another, I believe your cases were because of a rumor, yes? At any rate, at the setting of the sun, my home undergoes a drastic transformation that is only visible from inside the building. It becomes much larger, how long it is impossible to imagine, and a great deal stranger, which I'm sure you both know. At this time, and this time only, these creatures appear and promptly hunt the poor soul down and are more often than not, devoured. Sad, but unpreventable at times.

However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, the persons who are devoured wind up destroying the Shadow instead of the other way around. When this happens, it usually leaves a mark on their person. If you will, could you please show me your hands?"

Shinji and Sai outstretched their arms. Kuzonoha-san pulled out a pair of glasses and put them. He closely inspected their hands. After he finished he nodded and put back his glasses.

"Do either of you remember a very painful sensation and afterward, you could see some sort of indicator of the event in your dreams?"

They both shook their heads.

"If you could, could you please concentrate on the area. Try and remember what it looked like."

Shinji closed his eyes. If it was any other situation, he would have dismissed this as lunacy, but in this case, he seemed to believe at least a small part of what the old man before them was saying. He concentrated on the palm of his left hand, remembering the small black circle the cube had left behind. He felt a warm glow around that area, and when he opened his eyes, a small black circle with on his palm, glowing a soft orange light. Sai had a symbol on his hand as well, only his was more triangle-shaped and on the back of his right hand and glowing a deep red. The old man simply smiled.

"You see, when a human overcomes a Shadow, they don't necessarily destroy it, they more...tame it. This causes it to adjust to the psyche of its' new human master and allots them special powers, including the ability to summon it in physical form. That is Persona, and _that_." He said pointing at the symbols on their hands. "Would be your Personae." The glow faded and their symbols vanished.

"Ahhhggg!" Sai sighed frustratedly holding his head in his hands. "This is too much, way too much! So what your sayin' is that we got eaten by Shadows, we beat them, and now we can use them for...fighting other Shadows? And how do we know this is real? How do we know you're not playin' us? How do we know that this isn't a dream?"

"Ah, but that is the question." a voice said as they opened the door. "How can we tell if anything is a dream or not? Are we awake? Are we alive? Is this heaven? Or is it hell? So is the question of Life." The person walked forward some more. "All that we can really do is take it on blind faith that we are doing the right thing. In time, all shall become clear, I suppose. Oh, hello Shinji."

"Shinji, you know this guy?" Sai asked.

"Yeah, he lives in my building. What are you doing here, Felix?"

Felix smirks as he brushes some hair behind his ear. "I simply came to give good wishes to a friend. Hmm, but seeing how the case is, I believe that the more old-fashioned curses are more suitable. So," he stopped, spreading his arms a bit, "Welcome to Hell. Hope you packed a snack."

"Ah, good evening to you, Artruse-san." Kuzonoha-san said to Felix. "We weren't expecting you."

"Yes well, I had heard that Shinji had been involved in an accident and took my time to visit. I did know that you would be here either Kuzonoha-san. I had heard from Ichijyo-san that you visiting a 'prospect' today here, but I had no clue that our visits would be overlapped."

"Wait," Shinji said, "You two know each other?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Artruse-san, you actually couldn't have come at a better time. I was just about to ask them."

"Oh, don't mind me. Go right ahead."

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"Ah, yes. You see, I have said that my 'Shadow problem' is a bit of a bother, yes?"

"Yes."

"Well, while I am able to fend them off for a time, I am not as young as I once was, so I rely on the younger generation to assist me. Artruse-san here is but one of the children I have under my employ. My question to you is, would you like a job?"

Shinji and Sai were something quite similar to awe-struck. Shinji came to his senses first.

"What would this job entail exactly?"

"Nothing too strenuous of course. Simply using the gift you have been given to help old man get rid of his infestation. All that you would need to do really is come to my home at night at least once a week and get rid of as many Shadows as you can, along with maybe rescuing the occasional person wandering around after-hours. Who knows, you may even find more people to assist you. And of course, you will be paid handsomely."

"Paid?" Sai asked.

"But of course. I am an old man who is nearing his end, and has far to much money to know what to do with. And since I am one of the very last of my clan, the others either too old or too busy. I only have one person in mind for inheritance, but she has out-right refused it, so I have an excess of money lying around gathering dust. Better to give it to the young than for it to never be used at all. And you would be doing a noble thing for the community. So, what do you say?" He said, extending his hand.

Shinji didn't really know how to react, and from the look on Sai's face, he didn't either. Shinji wasn't really sure what to do. Sure, given what had happened, this seemed like a pretty sweet deal, but at the same time, Shinji didn't really know whether or not to trust the old man before him. He was at a real loss.

"Excuse me?" Felix said after being forgotten he had been there. "Do you mind if I throw in my own two cents, as it were?"

"Oh, of course, Artruse-san. I'm sorry, I'd forgotten you were here."

"It's fine, it happens all the time." He walked over to their beds'. "Now, I don't know about you two, but me doing this job is probably the best deal I've ever made. I don't want to sound selfish or manipulative here, but it is a really good job. The pay is very good, and it's a good stress release. And if you two have any questions, they will be more than likely answered." He looks at Shinji. "Besides, it would be nice to have a friend around."

Sai looks a bit more convinced, but Shinji isn't quite so, even if Felix seems to be asking him directly. Shinji looks at Sai. "What do you think?" he asks.

"I'll go with whatever you want to, man. It sounds pretty sweet, but it's your decision."

'Why do they want _me_ to choose? What's so special about _me_? I'm just one guy, yet why does it feel like the fate of the world rests on my answer?'

Shinji holds up his left hand to his face and brings back his symbol. It seems to be calling to him. He closes his eyes and clenches his hand. He puts it down and looks at Kuzonoha-san.

"When do we start?"

Both Felix and Kuzonoha-san smile at this. The latter stands up and shakes Shinji's hand.

Time stops.

_Thou Art I, I Am Thou..._

_Thou Has Created A Bond... Thou Hast Strengthened A Bond..._

_This Bond Shalt Deliver Thou From Evil... It Shalt Only Help In Thous Journey..._

_When In Need They Shalt Protect Thou..._

_Or Shalt They Condemn Thou...?_

_The Fool Arcana Begins... The Sun Arcana Hast Increased..._

'Two?' Time restarts.

"It shall only be an asset to have you here." Kuzonoha-san says cheerily.

"I wholeheartedly agree." Felix says nodding his head.

"Now, Artruse-san, let us leave them. They will need as much as rest as possible to recover to full health."

"Goodbye." Felix said waving.

Shuji came back into the room. "So, Kuzonoha-san explained to me that were going to be working around his home for the next few months. That's good. Seems like a very nice man, don't ya think?"

Shinji just nodded his head. 'I'm wondering if I made the right choice here. Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but get better. We'll see if I did.'

**-P5-**

After a week passed, both Shinji and Sai were discharged from the hospital. That afternoon, they went Kuzonoha-san's house.

And so begin the series of events that will lead to the near fall of mankind itself.

**End of Episode 03**

**-P5-**

**Social Links:**

**Fool:** Lvl.1 ?

**Magician:** Lvl.1 Shuji Nakamura

**Strength:** Lvl.1 Sai Nakagawa

**Sun:** Lvl.2 Felix Artruse


End file.
